


Hope When the Moment Comes (You'll Say...)

by Miaou Jones (miaoujones)



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Timeline, First Kiss, Locker Room Sex, M/M, Oral Sex, Resolved Sexual Tension, Start of Relationship, Swimming
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-25
Updated: 2018-09-25
Packaged: 2019-07-17 10:23:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16093730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miaoujones/pseuds/Miaou%20Jones
Summary: "I know who you are, Tachibana," Sousuke interrupts. Of course he knows Rin's friends. Even if he didn't, it's not like he could ever forget that backstroke start from last year's prefecturals.





	Hope When the Moment Comes (You'll Say...)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ishka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ishka/gifts).



> Prologue/prequel to the [Hope When You Take That Jump, You Don't Fear the Fall](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1136138) series. Although this is chronologically first, it was written/posted after the second fic in the series and may be read at any point—or as a standalone fic itself.
> 
> Alternate timeline to Season 2. Set just after Sousuke’s confrontation of Haru in S02E02.
> 
> Title comes from OneRepublic’s “I Lived.”
> 
> Special thanks to summerbutterfly, who served as the swimming consultant on this and provided Sousuke’s notes on Makoto’s freestyle technique (in some cases used verbatim).

When Sousuke opens the door, the first thing he sees is an Iwatobi uniform. He thinks about trying not to sigh but then does it anyhow. "Rin's not here right now."

"Actually, I came to see you, Yamazaki. You probably don't remember me but I'm—"

"I know who you are, Tachibana," Sousuke interrupts. Of course he knows Rin's friends. Even if he didn't, it's not like he could ever forget that backstroke start from last year's prefecturals. 

As if Makoto has read his mind, he says, "I heard you were at our prefectural meet last year." He doesn't say how he heard and Sousuke doesn't ask, he just nods to confirm it. He thinks Makoto is going to warn him off Nanase now but to his surprise, Makoto says, "I came here as team captain, to take responsibility for what happened in the relay that day. It wasn't my idea but I don't think what we did was wrong." When Sousuke only keeps looking at him, he goes on. "I can understand why you thought what you did but you're wrong about something: Haru and Rin don't interfere with each other. They _inspire_ each other."

Sousuke doesn't really want to have this conversation here, since he doesn't know when Rin might return. He does know Rin isn't at the pool right now, so: "Do you want to go swimming, since you're here?"

Makoto hesitates. "I didn't bring my swimsuit…"

The way he trails off makes Sousuke think he might actually want to swim. In that case, "I'm sure we have something that will fit you," he says, giving Makoto a once-over as he goes to Rin's desk and opens the drawer where Rin keeps the key to the pool. Makoto looks like he's close to Sousuke's size and one of his own legskins might do, but Sousuke thinks better of offering; it's not like there aren't spares of all sizes in the locker room.

He takes Makoto for the talkative type and steels himself to hear about either Nanase or a lot of nothing on the way, but Makoto is surprisingly quiet as they walk to the pool. When Sousuke steals a glance, Makoto doesn't look uncomfortable in the silence and Sousuke settles into it too.

The silence doesn't break until they're at the locker room and Sousuke is locking the door behind them. He opens his mouth to explain that it's outside pool hours and technically anyone using the pool now needs permission from a coach or the captain, but Makoto doesn't look like he needs an explanation, so instead Sousuke says, "What size are you? For the suit." 

Too late, Sousuke realizes he could have just told Makoto where the spares are kept and let him find his own. He sighs inwardly as Makoto follows him, and rummages through until he finds the right size. It doesn't have a green stripe but Sousuke doesn't mention that as he hands it to Makoto, and Makoto doesn't mention it either as he offers a thanks. They change wordlessly and duck under the spray to wet themselves down before entering the pool area.

No one else is here and their footsteps echo as they cross the tile. Makoto slows as they reach the edge of the pool and Sousuke realizes Makoto is waiting for him to choose his lane first. He curls his toes over the edge of lane 4 and dives in, hearing the splash next to him in lane 5. 

As Makoto goes into his crouch, then releases and pushes off in one smooth movement, Sousuke once again admires the arch of his back, the powerful elegance of his start. Having forgone a proper start himself, Sousuke dips under the water from a standing start and surfaces to fly down his lane, sending up a spray of water to match that reaching him from Makoto's lane. He can't help thinking that Makoto should be better than he is—he definitely should do better at local and regional meets. In fact, with his body type, his height and reach, Makoto should be top ten, but he's not even on anyone's radar. And it may be too late for him to break through now, even with all his raw potential, after so much time away from competition. Sousuke heard from Rin that his Iwatobi teammates had stopped swimming competitively in middle school and he can't help wondering if Makoto is another victim of Nanase's "inspiration."

It would be pointless to say anything about that, though. Instead, after they come to the wall after a relaxed couple of laps, he asks if Makoto is planning to compete backstroke in prefecturals this time too. 

Makoto nods. "I think I want to enter freestyle as well. The crawl." He flashes a grin. "I guess that goes without saying; it's really unusual for anyone to choose to do butterfly for the free, isn't it?"

Sousuke doesn't know how to read Makoto's smile, or the way it seems to linger even as it fades. He looks away from it.

"It's not because of Haru and Rin," Makoto says, quietly serious, the smile gone when Sousuke looks at him now.

"I wasn't—" Sousuke starts, but he _was_ thinking that and cuts himself off.

Makoto’s new smile doesn’t feel loaded so Sousuke doesn’t look away this time. "Back in elementary school, at the meet where we first met you"—it’s interesting that Makoto chose that as the significance marker rather than referencing the relay Rin won with them, Sousuke thinks as he listens—"I had intended to compete in freestyle. But when we decided to go for the relay, I focused on that." His chest rises and falls with a breath Sousuke doesn’t hear. Determination settles along the line of his jaw. "I’ve decided I don’t want to have regrets about anything from now on. If I have to push myself when it's difficult or scary, I'm going to."

"If you're serious about the free, I can give you some tips," Sousuke hears himself say.

Makoto's face lights up with an innocence that's so sweet it's a little obscene. "Yeah?"

Sousuke makes an affirmative sound as he turns to climb out of the pool. Thinking back, he knows Makoto swam the crawl at the Iwatobi SC event but he can't remember it at all. He motions for Makoto to get out of the water too. "Let's see what you got."

When Makoto starts, Sousuke realizes why he couldn't call it to mind, especially compared to Makoto's backstroke: there's nothing at all memorable or accomplished about it. It's a shade flat, going down instead of out—almost more of a dive than a start. It's a question of leg power: you need to _explode_ off the block, pushing out as far as you can; all that air time is less distance to swim; a shorter distance means a quicker time.

As he watches Makoto move down the lane, studying him, Sousuke adds to the mental catalogue: Makoto could do with more rotation of his body—he's so tall that just a little would give him a huge reach. Since the body rotates on axis in freestyle, like in backstroke, that extra reach really helps shave off those tenths and hundredths of a second, and that could be all the difference in the world at prefecturals, the margin between winning and failing to advance.

Sousuke tells him all of this when he climbs out, and Makoto nods to everything. "Rin has a good start," Sousuke ends with, "so watch him the next time." 

Makoto nods again. Then: "Could I watch you?" When Sousuke just looks at him, Makoto offers a smile that is both open and shy at the same time. "I mean, if that's not weird to ask..."

Without letting himself think, Sousuke goes to the head of the lane, gets in position, glances over to see Makoto intently focused on him; snaps his own attention back to the water and propels himself in a long arc through the air towards it.

The shine of Makoto's eyes as Sousuke gets out of the water and comes back over to him is probably a trick of the light. "I want to try again," Makoto says. "But, do you think I could watch you one more time?"

"Yeah, sure." 

Sousuke doesn't have to glance over this time; he _feels_ Makoto's gaze on him, and gives that gaze the best start he possibly can.

Makoto is ready to try himself after that. He does a few starts for Sousuke, each one better than the one he'd done on his own. None of them there yet, but Sousuke can't help being impressed with the noticeable improvement Makoto is already showing, and says so as they're walking to the locker room. 

"Thank you," Makoto says, and Sousuke knows the words are sincere, but they're also unnecessary because the smile that accompanies them is enough.

More than enough. Too much, maybe, and Sousuke can't pretend to himself any longer that he's not attracted to Makoto. Which is something he's just going to have to deal with. And not let show. 

He's so lost in his own thoughts that he doesn't realize he's been staring until Makoto says, "Like what you see?"

Shaking out of his internal reverie, Sousuke realizes Makoto is looking over his shoulder at him, hands on the waistband of his legskin, just about to undress. His gaze flickers back up to meet Makoto's: his tone, his smile, even the way he's looking back at Sousuke—there's a careful construction, like it could be a joke, like it could be something else...

Sousuke swallows. Living in Tokyo, he's had some experience with this. He's not completely sure Makoto is extending an invitation, but if he's wrong—well, Rin already knows Sousuke is gay, so it won't really matter that much if Makoto says anything. 

Deciding it's worth the risk, Sousuke moistens his lips. "Yeah." There's a flutter in his stomach but he keeps looking steadily at Makoto. "I do." 

Makoto holds the gaze a moment longer before peeling his legskin down to mid-thigh. Sousuke looks back up in time to catch the visible inhale Makoto takes before he turns around, the arch of his pelvis as he supports himself against the lockers inviting Sousuke's full gaze.

He hasn't toweled off and his skin is glistening with a damp sheen all over, and Sousuke would love to let his gaze linger over the sculpted musculature of his body—but he's drawn to Makoto's cock, glistening too and already half-hard, flushing even darker than Makoto's face as Sousuke gazes longer...

Sousuke looks back up; their eyes meet. 

Moistening his lips, Sousuke closes the distance between them. 

And: _kiss._

Makoto immediately opens for him, hand cradling Sousuke's jaw, fingers splayed out against Sousuke's skin. He'd figured Makoto would kiss back but he wasn't prepared for the heat of the kiss, the depth of it. When Makoto's tongue invites him in, Sousuke falls deeper into the kiss.

He tries to get his own legskin off without breaking the kiss, arching back to pull it down, pressing back in, a thrill tripping through him as their cocks brush each other. He thrills more as Makoto inhales quickly, taking some of Sousuke's breath; Sousuke inhales too, swallowing the vibrations of Makoto's moan. 

He reaches between them to touch Makoto and Makoto breaks the kiss but doesn't push Sousuke away. "Wait, not here." There's a hint of anxiety on Makoto's brow; Sousuke can't help the disappointment that surges through him. Then Makoto says, "The shower, maybe?" 

Sousuke smiles, "Yeah," and kisses him again.

They finish stripping out of their suits and go to the shower, making out under the spray of hot water. Makoto is fully hard now and it makes Sousuke harder. Makoto is a really good kisser and Sousuke is reluctant to leave his mouth but...

Without warning, he drops to his knees, the tile smooth and unyielding. He looks up, blinking away the water drops that cling to his lashes, and rests his hands on Makoto's hips. Makoto takes a deep breath, a little shaky around the edges, and moistens his lips. Sousuke moistens his own lips as he wraps his fingers around Makoto's cock, closes his eyes, and kisses the head. 

A suppressed moan comes from above and Sousuke imagines Makoto's hand pressed against his mouth; and then he feels the other hand on his head, fingers threading into his hair. "Is it okay—can I do this?"

Sousuke opens his eyes and looks up at Makoto; it's too much to look at his face so Sousuke closes his eyes again, answers by opening wider and taking Makoto in deeper, feeling the head nudge against the back of his throat. He's not sure if he can take Makoto all the way and doesn't want to ruin the moment by gagging, so he slides back to hold Makoto in his mouth again as he suckles, hoping this will be okay—

The first warm, salty splash catches Sousuke by surprise as it spurts onto his tongue. He keeps sucking as Makoto spills out into him, swallowing Makoto down.

When the spurts slow to a stop, Sousuke sits back on his heels, wiping away the strands of come that escaped his mouth. Makoto is still breathing heavily; he takes a deeper breath to steady himself and looks at Sousuke. "Sorry, I—sorry, are you okay?" 

"Yeah." Without breaking eye contact, Sousuke gets to his feet, brushes back the slick of hair threatening to fall into Makoto's face. 

Heat colors Makoto's face as he drops the gaze. "That was my first..."

Those words thrum down to the tip of Sousuke's cock. "Yeah?" Nodding to confirm it, Makoto sneaks a sidelong glance at him, a hint of curve to his mouth. Sousuke holds back the grin he feels as he says, "Did you like it?"

Makoto nods again, lets his smile open as he meets Sousuke's gaze fully, lashes sweeping down as he leans in for a kiss. "Yeah," he breathes against Sousuke's mouth just before he slips his tongue inside.

As they kiss, Sousuke wraps a hand around his aching cock. The hot, heavy thrill he feels that Makoto is tasting his own come from Sousuke's mouth makes him moan, arching as he thrusts into his own fist. He feels Makoto's hand join his, and relinquishes his hold as Makoto starts stroking him off, deepening the kiss.

Makoto pulls back from the kiss. He moistens his lips. "Do you want me to, um..."

Sousuke knows what he's offering but if this was the first blowjob Makoto has received, chances are he's never given one, and Sousuke just wants him to be able to feel good and enjoy the afterglow. With a flash of a grin, Sousuke kisses him again. "No, this is good." He looks down at Makoto's hand moving on him, measures his exhale. He closes his eyes as he tips his head back. "Getting close~"

"Do you want me to do anything special?"

"Just like this." Sousuke can't help thrusting a little in Makoto's hand. He's so close now, so fucking close, just—"Kiss me," he murmurs, and lets himself go, coming when Makoto tongue licks inside his mouth.

Makoto gives him a few more easy strokes as he starts to go soft. When his hand slides off, Sousuke steps back against the other side of the shower stall and closes his eyes, grounding himself with the feeling of the tile against his back, the water sluicing over him. "Fuck," he breathes out. "That was—" He opens his eyes. Makoto's gaze starts to shy away but Sousuke catches it with a grin. Makoto is already smiling back even before Sousuke says, "Thanks."

Makoto shakes his head. "I should be thanking you."

All Sousuke can do is smile more as he starts to soap up.

They wash themselves and rinse off. The companionable wordlessness they've fallen into continues as they're getting dressed. 

Even though it started off comfortably, Sousuke is starting to regret letting the silence last this long. He's not sure what Makoto is thinking this is, what just happened; Sousuke's not sure he knows himself. 

As they're walking out, Sousuke casts Makoto a furtive look before saying, as casually as he can, "If you want more help with your crawl, I wouldn't mind."

That almost unbelievably sweet smile graces Makoto's face again. "Really?"

Returning the grin, Sousuke nods. "Sure."

They exchange numbers. Sousuke really wants to kiss him again... but he doesn't.

"No regrets," Makoto murmurs as they step outside. 

It was low enough that he could have been talking to himself and Sousuke isn't sure if he was meant to hear it. But he did hear it, and he can't help thinking back to what Makoto said before, and something sinks inside him. "So then, you didn't really want to do this." Makoto comes to a stop and Sousuke does too. "You had to push yourself..."

The furrow of Makoto's brow eases. "Sometimes you have to push for what you really want." His smile is as soft as it looks when it touches Sousuke's mouth.

They part ways, Makoto headed to the train station, Sousuke back to his room. Rin glances up when Sousuke opens the door, his gaze traveling up to Sousuke's hair, still damp. "Good practice?" he asks, attention already back on his book.

"Yeah." He's about to tell Rin about Makoto coming by—and then he doesn't. He climbs up onto the top bunk and starts to open a book himself, when his phone hums with a new text message.

It's from Makoto: _No Regrets._

A grin slips itself onto Sousuke’s face. He touches the words, carefully capitalized, with his fingertips.


End file.
